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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28032264">Old Hearts, New Beginnings</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stronglyobsessed/pseuds/Stronglyobsessed'>Stronglyobsessed</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Eggsyobsessed's Christmas Giveaway [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Kingsman (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Amputee Merlin, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, M/M, Men in love, Old Married Spies</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 23:29:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,301</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28032264</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stronglyobsessed/pseuds/Stronglyobsessed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Harry and Merlin's first Christmas since V-Day and Cambodia, and Harry has a special surprise for his husband.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Harry Hart | Galahad/Merlin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Eggsyobsessed's Christmas Giveaway [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2053317</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>47</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Old Hearts, New Beginnings</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonySmith/gifts">MoonySmith</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is my first of 12 offerings for a fic raffle I had going on tumblr. </p>
<p>Prompt was: Hi! For the Christmas Kingsman prompt, I'm picking number 7 🤞🏼 and just some fluff with Merlin and Harry's first Christmas after Cambodia + Harry's puppy. 🥺</p>
<p>And I hope this delivers!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Right. Taking these off.” Merlin plopped himself onto the sofa, yanked pant legs up and over shiny steel legs, and proceeded to dissemble them until all that's left were two angry, worn and sore stumps. The prosthetics were great and all, helped him get around easier than a wheelchair would, but they were hell on his stumps.</p>
<p>Especially during candidate trials.</p>
<p>They’d just weeded out the first three and headed in preparation for the skydiving assignment. But that could wait, at least until boxing day was done and gone. He discarded them against the coffee table, took the pain cream he kept in a drawer beside the sofa, and applied a generous amount.</p>
<p>“Well, hello.” Merlin reached out to pet the tiny, scraggly little pup that trotted in from the direction of their home office. Harry wasn’t far behind the tiny canine, looking on fondly as Mr. Pickle The Second licked Merlin’s fingers, tail going as quick as a helicopter propeller. “Ye have kept daddy company, aye?”</p>
<p>“As always.” Harry sat beside him, shoulder to shoulder, and took over where he’d left off during his massage.</p>
<p>Mr. Pickle The Second was a cheeky bugger like that, easily won the attention of everyone in the room with his cute little face, wide brown eyes and a silly personality that was a breath of fresh air in an otherwise serious home filled with an ex agent and Quartermaster to a secret spy agency. Not that Harry’s current job changed much, Arthur had just as an important seat at the table as any knight that served them in honor to protect the world. It suited the man rather well, much to Merlin’s surprise, the crown not too heavy for his head or shoulders; Harry always amazed Merlin. Right when he was sure the numpty would throw a strop, refuse to step down from field agent and take the throne as their leader, he went and shocked them all. Merlin gathered it was as much to spite him, as it was to prove their comrades he was capable of filling otherwise hollow shoes.</p>
<p>King was no leader.</p>
<p>And the fact made it rather hard for Harry to cock up what had been run based on ignorance and snobbish behavior.</p>
<p>“How was Galahad’s mission?”</p>
<p>“Fair,” Merlin sighed, eyes slipped shut, and cuddled the pup on his lap. He sagged back into a cushion, allowing Harry’s thin, yet strong, digits work over tired and achy flesh. “He didn’t get injured, if that’s what ye were getting at.” He knew Harry worried.</p>
<p>Eggsy was the son Harry never had, THEY never had, and quite regularly asked for updates. But that wasn’t to say he didn’t for all the agents, Merlin just knew there was deeper meaning behind the inquiry beside a briefing.</p>
<p>“Good.” The boy, as of late, had landed himself in Medical one too many times for comfort. Even Merlin had to wonder how the lad managed it. Though after he’d watched him enough, he gathered the mishaps. Which really boiled down to Eggsy’s careless and reckless flips, spins and constant use of parkour when unnecessary. “He’ll be by for supper tomorrow?”</p>
<p>“Mmm,” Merlin hummed. His body relaxed, melting into the sofa, as Harry moved to his right stump. “Said he’d bring pudding,” he offered after a moment.</p>
<p>“I’ll have everything ready by four.” Harry placed a delicate peck to his lips and stood. He didn’t bother to open his eyes, knowing his husband headed back into their office--likely to finish up some work he’d left in favor of a small bit of time with Merlin.</p>
<p>His eyes popped open when he heard Harry walk back out. “What’s this?” Merlin sat up proper to accept a decently sized wrapped parcel Harry handed him. “We aren’t celebrating Christmas until tomorrow.” He frowned at it. It was shiny blue wrapping with little white snowflakes littered all over, and had an impressively tied silver bow on top; Merlin could tell it was Harry’s handy work.</p>
<p>Only Merlin would pay someone to wrap the gifts, mostly because he didn’t have time to do so and he honestly was a shit gift wrapper. Harry made fun of his creases their third Christmas together, said he didn’t mention it earlier on in fear Merlin would dump him for being an uptight twat; he was right.</p>
<p>“I know.” A small smile formed on his lips. “But I wanted to give you this. At least on the Holiday itself.”</p>
<p>They agreed to have their Christmas morning, dinner and gift exchange with Eggsy on boxing day. Since Merlin had things to finish up at Kingsman, Eggsy was on assignment and Harry ended up with a rather debilitating migraine, it worked rather well for them. Or so he thought.</p>
<p>Merlin’s grin soon matched Harry’s. “We could have waited,” he claimed. Even as he began to open it. He was careful with paper, Harry disliked rumpled wrapping paper strewn all over, but finally managed to unveil a white box. “I should get one of yours…” he mused to himself and lifted the top off.</p>
<p>Inside, nestled against a cream satin cloth, was Merlin’s family crest. He had one, pocket sized though, that he’d lost during Cambodia. They had searched, scouring the land for the item, only to come up empty with a hole in his heart. It’d been his great great gran’s and irreplaceable.</p>
<p>“I know it’s not the same.” Harry went on to say while Merlin passed shaky fingers along the red, blue and yellow tartan pattern behind a gold griffin with ‘Nemo Me Impune Lacessit’ within a blue buckle surrounding the griffin. His family name, McKay, was engraved against an oak plaque. “But I was able to find one that we could keep here,” he softly added.</p>
<p>“Where did you find this?” He asked, his voice a watery whisper, unable to take his eyes off a gift that meant more than Merlin could put into words.</p>
<p>“It took me the entire year, a lot of help from your team.” Harry chuckled. “But it belonged to a collector, someone by the name of Irvin Smith? He actually lives in the city.”</p>
<p>Merlin didn’t even have five minutes to find one, a replacement that would never be the necklace sized crest his family had passed down from generation, to generation and worn through battle. Or so he had been told. And yet his husband, the person who suffered loss just as much as he--there was nothing to be said about losing an eye, just as his missing legs--and still found time to locate something so precious and heartfelt; it left him breathless.</p>
<p>“Thank you.” Was what he said, once he found his voice again, and gently set it aside to take Harry’s face, and lean in for a deep, loving kiss. He was careful to leave the small pup on his lap undisturbed. “I love it.” Emotion was thick and swollen in his throat. “I love you.” Merlin had no idea how his gift would compare, not that Harry would see it that way.</p>
<p>Harry leaned into his hands, face crinkled with a soft expression that was purely meant for Merlin, and wrapped him up into a secure embrace.</p>
<p>“I love you, too.”</p>
<p>They shared another long, lingering sweet exchange of affection before Merlin pulled away. “I have yours. Well,” he laughed, “One of them. It’s under the tree.”</p>
<p>Harry shook his head. “I’ll wait.” He pecked Merlin’s nose. “I knew you’d need to open that in private.” Merlin sighed, eyes filled with fresh tears. This magnificent man, the love of his life, and one he nearly lost at the hands of Valentine, knew him better than he knew himself. “Happy Christmas.”</p>
<p>Merlin yanked him in for another good snog before he whispered, “Happy Christmas.”</p>
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